Eye Tracking Accuracy Comparison Test
SMI RED 250 vs.GazeFlow WebCam EyeTracker
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WebCam EyeTracker Accurycy test
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SIMPLY USER User Experience Lab www.simplyuser.pl
The comparison of accuracy and
precision of eye tracking:
GazeFlow vs. SMI RED 250.
Document version 1.1, August, 2013
SIMPLY USER, User Experience Lab
Kraków, 6 August, 2013
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Abstract
The report describes the results of a research comparing the Accuracy and Precision
of the GazeFlow eye tracking software based on the image from webcams with the SMI
RED 250 device, a standard eye tracker using infrared light to track the position of an eye.
The measurement of Accuracy and Precision was taken using the method suggested by
Tobii Technology.
The conclusions obtained show sufficient results in the area of accuracy and very high
results in the area of precision of the GazeFlow software. This means a prospect for
commercialization of the software for commercial marketing research purposes,
as well as controlling a computer with eyesight, meaning a non-contact computer interface.
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Table of contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Eye tracking devices
1.2. Comparative tests
2. Methodology
2.1. The persons examined
2.2. The time and place of the research
2.3. Testing equipment
2.4. Experimental procedure
3. Results
3.1. The results of the Accuracy measurements for procedures with a freely kept
head.
3.2. The results of the Accuracy measurements for procedures with a head fixed on
chinrest.
3.3. The results of the Precision measurements for procedures with a freely kept
head.
3.4. The results of the Precision measurements for procedures with a head fixed on
chinrest.
4. Conclusions
5. References
6. The list of appendices
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1. Introduction
1.1. Eye tracking devices
Eye tracking devices (eye trackers) have in recent years been extremely popular research
tools. Dynamic progress and the increase of accessibility of devices (price drop) have
made eye tracking research commonly used for commercial purposes. Most of all the eye
tracking research has made its way into marketing research methods and website usability
research.
The most widespread eye tracking devices are currently the ones using infrared light
to track pupils. Among the stationary eye trackers available on the market and used
in commercial research there are two prevalent solutions coming from Tobii Technology
and SMI Vision companies.
What is more, during the last two years the first commercial solutions appeared, which use
webcams for eye tracking. Most often this kind of service is available online, and as with
infrared-based trackers, it is used for marketing and website research.
At the moment there are three solutions available, YouEye (www.youeye.com), Gazehawk
(www.gazehawk.com) and EyeTrackShop (www.eyetrackshop.com). Among the research
practitioners the solutions using webcams are criticized for low accuracy and significant
discrepancies of the results in comparison with solutions based on infrared light (see: Aga
Bojko1
).
It is important to note that eye tracking devices, especially those based on widely available
solutions, have a huge potential for being used as a tool for controlling machines. Eye
tracking may become one of the next means for human – computer interaction, thanks
to which it will be possible to control and interact solely with eyesight. Mostly, such
solutions may be used in entertainment, for instance in games to control a character and
in general gameplay, however the most promising area of application is
neurorehabilitation, i.e. the prospect of using eyesight controlled computers to interact with
people who lost the ability to communicate or use devices in a standard way.
The goal of the report is the comparison of the results and data obtained for two solutions:
an eye tracker based on infrared light and software using a webcam.
An eye tracker based on infrared light is a standard solution of the SMI company, RED 250
is a device with high resolution equipped with software enabling efficient commercial
research.
1
Blog: http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/eyetracking/blog/the_truth_about_webcam_eye_tra/
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The second solution is GazeFlow, an authoring solution of Szymon Deja, based
on the analysis of the optical flow of webcam image. The software which currently can be
used as a standalone solution, is intended for further commercialization
1.2. Comparative tests
The comparative tests have employed the solution suggested by Tobii Technology
described in the Accuracy and Precision test method for remote eye trackers report (Tobii,
2011). The method suggested by Tobii is aimed to objectify and create an opportunity
to compare devices manufactured by different suppliers. The accuracy and precision of all
devices manufactured by Tobii Technology is assessed according to this method.
The devices are assessed in two areas using this method: Accuracy and Precision.
Accuracy is the reading of an average difference between the position of a stimulus and
the measured position of an eye. Precision is the ability of the device to repeat a reliable
measurement.
The matrix shows all possibilities and relations of accuracy and precision of the
measurements of eye positions made by the eye tracking device.
High accuracy
High precision
High accuracy
Low precision
Low accuracy
High precision
Low accuracy
Low precision
Only the systems with high accuracy and precision deliver reliable and adequate
measurements of the position of an eye on the screen. This means that on the basis
of the systems’ readings we get the information on the actual position of an eye and the
measurement is repeatable. A good measurement of accuracy is considered to be an
average smaller than 0.8˚ under ideal conditions (measurement taken with a fixed head,
in lighting conditions of circa 300 lux).
A good measurement of precision is considered to be an average precision smaller than
0.5˚ under ideal conditions.
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The level of required accuracy of the equipment for eye tracking depends largely
on the type of research and the kind of the analyzed stimuli. The smaller the analyzed
stimuli are, or if the process of reading is also considered, the higher the requirements
concerning accuracy and precision are. In case of the marketing materials commonly used
in eye tracking analyses, or website researches, especially in case of remote researches
regarding the free-following of stimuli by the people examined, the requirements are more
liberal.
In the Accuracy and Precision Test suggested by Tobii (2011) the results of different
experimental conditions are being compared, among others:
- ideal conditions
- different eye angle
- different lighting conditions
- different head positions
In case of the following research special attention was paid to different head positions due
to a significant effect of a head position on the measurements taken by software utilizing
webcams.
In the subject literature there is a discussion regarding taking the measurements on one
dominant eye versus an average measurement for both eyes (see Tobii, 2011).
The following research employs binocular measurement.
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2. Methodology
2.1. The persons examined
The experiment involved 30 people – 13 men and 17 women. The average age
of the subjects was 27 (the youngest person was 21 and the oldest 39). The education
of the persons examined was as follows: 14 people held a high school diploma, 12 people
had master’s degree and 4 had bachelor’s degree. The summary of the subjects’
demographic data is included in Table 1. The persons examined represented a random
sample of the population between 20-40 years of age. During the selection process people
with visual impairment or wearing glasses were excluded from the research due to the
requirement of employing eye tracking equipment using infrared light.
No. Sex Age Education
B1 M 25 bachelor
B2 M 28 high school
B3 W 28 master
B4 W 39 high school
B5 W 23 bachelor
B6 W 38 high school
B7 M 31 high school
B8 W 25 master
B9 W 28 master
B10 W 25 high school
B11 W 23 high school
B12 M 29 master
B13 W 30 master
B14 M 26 high school
B15 W 23 bachelor
B16 W 39 master
B17 M 27 high school
B18 M 37 high school
B19 W 24 high school
B20 W 23 bachelor
B21 M 29 master
B22 W 30 master
B23 M 22 master
B24 W 23 master
B25 W 38 master
B26 M 25 master
B27 M 25 high school
B28 M 21 high school
B29 W 24 high school
B30 M 28 high school
Table 1. The summary of the subjects’ demographic data.
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2.2. The time and place of the research
The research took place in a laboratory of the Simple User company between 13-17 June,
2013. The room was arranged in a way which allowed for stable and controlled conditions
for conducting the experiment. The subjects sat at a desk in front of a screen with
a remote eye tracking device SMI RED 250 and 4 webcams. The remote eye tracker was
placed under the screen, and webcams were located both above and under the screen.
Image 1 shows the monitor on which the experimental procedure was presented
to subjects. The monitor was located around 65-70 cm in front of the subjects’ eyes (the
standard distance recommended in remote eye tracking research).
Image 1. The arrangement of webcams.
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During two variants of the procedure, in order to fix a subject’s head in one place,
a chinrest located 70 cm from the monitor was used. Image 2. shows the location
of a subject’s head on the chinrest.
Image 2. Fixing the head in one place using chinrest.
All experiments were conducted in controlled lighting conditions. The lighting consisted
of two softbox lamps. Illuminance in the room was circa 350 lux. During the experiment
the lighting conditions were not manipulated. The research was conducted under
the supervision of a qualified technician and a researcher.
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2.3. Testing equipment
The research used remote eye tracker SMI RED 250 Hz with the iView X 2.8 system
(installed on a dedicated laptop being an integral part of the device). Experimental stimuli
were being displayed on a 22’’ Dell LCD screen with a resolution of 1680x1050.
In addition, eyes were also tracked by the GazeFlow software using webcams.
The research employed 4 differently arranged webcams:
1. Microsoft Lifecam 5000 (CAM_0) – placed above the screen
2. Logitech pro 9000 (CAM_1) – placed under the screen
3. Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 (CAM_2) – placed above the screen
4. Microsoft Playstation PsEye (CAM_3) – placed under the screen
The webcam parameters are: resolution of 640 x 480 and 30 fps frame rate.
The experimental procedure responsible for stimuli presentation was controlled through
a dedicated software using iViewX SDK on a RF711 Samsung laptop with a 17’’ screen.
The computer parameters:
- IntelCore i7-2630QM 2 GHz processor
- 6 GB RAM
- Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit version) operational system
- 17,3” (16:9, LCD) screen size
- 1600 x 900px resolution
- 32 bit color depth
The software was connected with the SMI RED 250 device through Wi-Fi. Image and data
from the webcams, as well as data from the eye tracker, were recorded simultaneously.
To analyze the results a dedicated software was used as well, which calculated the
Accuracy and Precision on the basis of formulae suggested in the article describing the
Tobii method (Tobii, 2011).
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2.4. Experimental procedure
2.4.1. Instructions
The experimental procedure was initiated by informing the subjects about the goal of the
research, which was watching the displayed images and website dumps. The subjects
were also informed about the necessity of following closely with their eyes the center of the
moving point while the calibration of both eye trackers took place (the SMI device and the
GazeFlow software). The instructions for subjects included detailed information on the way
of moving and changing position of their heads during the calibration procedure, as well as
using the feedback displayed on the screen. During the procedure the subjects were not
given any additional information apart from a reminder to closely follow the point during
calibration.
2.4.2. Calibration
The experiment consisted of nine experimental procedures. Each of the procedures
included a combination of calibration, validation and presenting stimuli. In seven
procedures the subjects had freely positioned heads, while in two they were fixed
on chinrests (see Image 2).
The research employed a double calibration of the devices due to the fact of using two
solutions. Below is a description of calibration for particular solutions:
1. SMI RED 250 calibration – 9-point calibration using a moving white and red point
against a grey background; 4-point validation using the same point;
2. GazeFlow calibration – 10- to 30-point calibration (depending on the efficiency
of the procedure) using a displayed red, pulsing point against a grey background;
validation using a green point.
Additionally, in procedures with a freely kept head, the head movement was taken into
account in the calibration process (calibration with a moving head), or the lack thereof
(calibration with a fixed head).
Calibration accounting for the moving head was made on the basis of visual feedback
information (calibration with a moving head). The subjects were presented with a yellow
point with an arrow in different positions, indicating the direction of a head shift. After
obtaining the desired head position the point changed its color to red and another
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calibration point was displayed. During the introductory procedure the subjects had
a chance to test this style of calibration.
During the experimental procedure the subjects were shown feedback information in case
of an incorrect head position (in a form of a red head imitation), the subjects’ task was
to correct their head position in order to receive positive feedback.
2.4.3. Experimental stimuli
The research employed images from commonly accessible free databases, having
a balanced salience, as well as website dumps of the most popular websites in Poland
(according to the Gemius ranking).
The display of stimuli was preceded by the presentation of a fixation point against
a background, whose color was the average of all colors of a particular image in order
to balance illumination of the presented experimental stimuli.
2.4.4. Variants of the experimental procedure
All experimental procedures consisted of the following stages:
1. Instructions
2. Head initialization
3. SMI calibration
4. SMI validation
5. GazeFlow calibration
6. GazeFlow validation
7. Stimuli presentation
8. GazeFlow validation
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The table below shows all the variants of experimental procedures used in the research.
Procedure
Proper name
Fixed head
calibration
Free head
calibration
Chinrest Types of
stimuli and the
time of display
Procedure 1
Into
_ YES _ _
Procedure 2
HeatMapSet1
_ YES _ 10 photos
5 sec
with the point of
fixation
Procedure 3
HeatMapSet2
YES _ _ 10 photos
5 sec
with the point of
fixation
Procedure 4
HeatMapWWW1
YES _ _ 5 screenshot
website
9 sec
with the point of
fixation
Procedure 5
ReadText
_ YES _ reading text
aloud
Procedure 8
Glass_2_HeatMap_
Set4
YES _ _ 10 photos
5 sec
with the point of
fixation
Procedure 9
Glass_3_HeatMap_
www2
_ YES _ 5 screenshot
website
9 sec
with the point of
fixation
Procedure 6
Statyw_WalidationC
olor
_ _ YES _
Procedure 7
Statyw_HeatMapPo
dstawkaSet3
_ _ YES 10 photos
5 sec
with the point of
fixation
Table 2. Conditions for all experimental procedures employed in the research.
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3. Results
The analysis of results was done according to the Accuracy and Precision measurement
methods published by Tobii (2011). According to the methodological guidelines only the
results of tests with proper calibration were used in the analysis. The best level
of calibration for the GazeFlow software was reached in procedure no. 4 HeatMapWWW1,
however, for the SMI RED 250 (henceforth referred to as SMI) device, in procedure no. 8
Glass_2_HeatMap_Set4. The table including the percentage data for calibration accuracy
is presented in Appendix 1. Please pay attention to the lower level of the SMI eye tracker
calibration, which may have been caused by the difficulties in calibrating this device due
to error and delays in displaying the calibration points.
Below is the data for all four webcams used in the research. For each camera the measure
of Accuracy and Precision was calculated for GazeFlow and SMI. The tables show
a detailed comparison of results. Results of the procedures with free and fixed head are
presented separately.
All the results shown are expressed as a degree of deviation between the point
on the screen and the eye position.
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3.1. The results of the Accuracy measurements for procedures with a freely
kept head
The tables show the results of the Accuracy measurements for GazeFlow and SMI
in those procedures, where the subjects had a freely kept head, which is a standard
approach in researches with a remote eye tracker.
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_0 0,94488479 1,070045699 0,95661855
2
0,674499497
Into 1,026403714 1,058630381 0,88961890
5
0,623168333
HeatMapSet1 1,039534917 0,984184792 0,87985829
2
0,598922042
HeatMapSet2 0,806336957 1,078214609 1,11674873
9
0,677186783
HeatMapWww
1
0,860038 0,881491905 0,84481423
8
0,646282333
ReadText 0,980167529 1,418166941 0,95496011
8
0,749193588
Glass_2_Heat
Map_Set4
0,84559465 0,99993015 0,9970957 0,72923725
Glass_3_Heat
Map_WWW2
1,084348235 1,161597353 1,023253 0,736735471
Table 3. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 1 (CAM_0)
in procedures with a freely kept head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_1 1,09356004 1,176071508 0,939732234 0,662699089
Into 1,33037145 1,3028553 0,8438387 0,61381745
HeatMapSet1 1,143760048 1,200061429 0,828500048 0,608644238
HeatMapSet2 0,948090826 1,153010304 1,026425783 0,646012261
HeatMapWww
1
0,934483611 1,122464778 0,845122444 0,6821635
ReadText 1,058331111 1,354267111 1,009833333 0,647873556
Glass_2_Heat
Map_Set4
1,033065222 1,031861722 1,015450833 0,737642556
Glass_3_Heat
Map_WWW2
1,215207133 1,139263533 1,070994 0,724743733
Table 4. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 2 (CAM_1)
in procedures with a freely kept head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_2 1,031819868 1,156535076 0,955698528 0,667993042
Into 1,307013762 1,11921319 0,890103286 0,619831429
HeatMapSet1 0,94959672 1,24239868 0,84591404 0,60782996
HeatMapSet2 0,841246174 1,242968348 1,116748739 0,677186783
HeatMapWw
w1
0,975540143 0,994712143 0,844814238 0,646282333
ReadText 1,095747824 1,349947941 0,916929647 0,721256647
Glass_2_Heat
Map_Set4
1,046537905 1,056947857 1,055455429 0,711300238
Glass_3_Heat
Map_WWW2
1,0596775 1,08471 1,0376175 0,727056
Table 5. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 3 (CAM_2)
in procedures with a freely kept head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_3 1,066661694 1,221480898 0,889155694 0,653861592
Into 1,332723 1,385011182 0,923244818 0,566182
HeatMapSet1 1,0975465 1,166807167 0,882522583 0,5409855
HeatMapWw
w1
0,854962 1,2553629 0,7372276 0,6221437
ReadText 0,873405143 1,167121714 0,924754 0,725906
Glass_3_Hea
tMap_WWW2
1,085828444 1,099141556 0,997456778 0,890734556
Table 6. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 4 (CAM_3)
in procedures with a freely kept head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
The graph shows the summary of the average Accuracies for all cams for both solutions.
Graph 1. The comparison of the average measurements of Accuracy for conditions where the head was kept
freely for GazeFlow (WebCam) vs SMI
Summarizing the test results one has to pay attention to the fact that the results
of the Accuracy measurements are slightly better for the SMI device’s the Accuracy
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measurements on the X axis (horizontal), whereas significantly better for the Accuracy
measurements on the Y axis.
In case of GazeFlow the best Accuracy results were obtained for cam 1 (CAM_0),
i.e. the one placed in the central position above the screen. In all cases better Accuracy
results were obtained (lower value of deviation expressed in degrees) from cameras
placed above the screen.
3.2. The results of the Accuracy measurements for procedures with a head
fixed on a chinrest.
The tables gather the results for all cameras and procedures, where the subjects had their
heads fixed on a chinrest.
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_0 0,838121 0,99749246 0,96628342 0,78371292
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
1,011000957 1,04781587 0,902361609 0,733661783
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,690852889 0,95462437 1,020735333 0,826349074
Table 7. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 1 (CAM_0)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_1 1,032267118 1,082964804 0,958015275 0,779070451
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
1,259673667 1,154732667 0,887455208 0,725882
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,830127963 1,019171148 1,020735333 0,826349074
Table 8. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 2 (CAM_1)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_2 0,87373802 1,061464714 0,967781347 0,777237367
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
1,111964 1,122387435 0,906260522 0,731583739
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,662999654 1,007571538 1,022203615 0,817623269
Table 9. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 3 (CAM_2)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_3 0,924271957 1,02620287 0,900610174 0,713605565
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
1,0330376 1,0555321 0,8393879 0,6650874
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,840606077 1,003641923 0,947704231 0,750927231
Table 10. The comparison of average values of Accuracy on the X and Y axis for cam 4 (CAM_3)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Graph 2. The comparison of the average measurements of Accuracy for all conditions, where the head was
fixed for GazeFlow (WebCam) vs SMI
The results in procedures with a fixed head are lower in comparison with procedures with
a freely kept head, which indicates a higher accuracy of the solutions.
In case of procedures with a fixed head the results for Accuracy on the X axis in GazeFlow
are comparable to the results obtained for the SMI device. It is surprising because one can
expect, that in case of the fixed head condition, being close to ideal, the results
for a device using infrared light to track eyes should be better.
This may mean a high accuracy of GazeFlow, comparable to SMI under conditions close
to ideal, or one should consider the possibility of an artifact stemming from a non-optimal
position of the head for conditions of calibration and conducting the test in a position which
the subjects were in, and whose heads were placed on chinrests, as well as a significant
increase of the angle on the X axis for stimuli presented on peripheries and the position
of an eye.
The Accuracy measurement results, i.e. the measurement of the eye position, are higher
than the ones indicted as desirable under ideal conditions ( < 0.8˚) for procedures with
a free head, especially for GazeFlow, however in procedures with a fixed head
the Accuracy measurement in both cases meets the desired value.
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3.3. The results of the Precision measurements for procedures with a freely
kept head.
The tables below contain the results of the Precision measurements for the GazeFlow
software and SMI, in cases where the subjects’ heads were freely kept. The results are
presented separately for each webcam.
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_0 0,247711692 0,257332406 0,275402364 0,269548643
Into 0,321631857 0,27725681 0,27531081 0,267714524
HeatMapSet1 0,244856208 0,267781917 0,275097333 0,273258292
HeatMapSet2 0,22354787 0,264544348 0,236990609 0,23589013
HeatMapWw
w1
0,223061286 0,239552524 0,246522286 0,272730143
ReadText 0,221118529 0,214340824 0,331550647 0,312985118
Glass_2_Hea
tMap_Set4
0,21870405 0,2405562 0,2948133 0,2579744
Glass_3_Hea
tMap_WWW2
0,284292353 0,292902 0,284605647 0,278365353
Table 11. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 1 (CAM_0)
in procedures with a free head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_1 0,255058645 0,26032226 0,277273282 0,266271242
Into 0,3202907 0,3233968 0,27721435 0,2717916
HeatMapSet1 0,267960571 0,25107749 0,279729238 0,281761762
HeatMapSet2 0,232992783 0,249868826 0,23701813 0,236692609
HeatMapWww
1
0,251469778 0,248067222 0,259000889 0,283906722
ReadText 0,207442778 0,189246444 0,353862889 0,268749
Glass_2_Heat
Map_Set4
0,230153889 0,244691111 0,289369667 0,248405111
Glass_3_Heat
Map_WWW2
0,246616067 0,281303067 0,297095533 0,281368067
Table 12. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 2 (CAM_1)
in procedures with a free head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_2 0,239130458 0,262665701 0,279189674 0,270538861
Into 0,304370286 0,308151286 0,27601381 0,26883619
HeatMapSet1 0,23742324 0,2546572 0,30429952 0,28784724
HeatMapSet2 0,207789 0,273790174 0,236990609 0,23589013
HeatMapWw
w1
0,221426429 0,23847081 0,246522286 0,272730143
ReadText 0,211077765 0,203051176 0,315797471 0,300766059
Glass_2_Heat
Map_Set4
0,236553667 0,277771238 0,292944667 0,25489519
Glass_3_Heat
Map_WWW2
0,257648625 0,274757938 0,29071175 0,281076688
Table 13. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 3 (CAM_2)
in procedures with a free head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_3 0,297889673 0,269753941 0,294017408 0,277324408
Into 0,301578182 0,268378555 0,299079909 0,275885727
HeatMapSet
1
0,310925917 0,279415333 0,280986083 0,259226917
HeatMapWw
w1
0,3004628 0,2573095 0,2555388 0,2620733
ReadText 0,244551429 0,244879286 0,340354571 0,307726
Glass_3_He
atMap_WW
W2
0,314626111 0,291727222 0,311919 0,296512778
Table 14. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 4 (CAM_3)
in procedures with a free head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
The graph shows the summary of the Precision measurement results of all cameras for
both solutions.
Graph 3. The comparison of the average measurements of Precision for all conditions where the head was
free for GazeFlow (WebCam) vs SMI
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In case of the Precision measurements, i.e. the repeatability of measurements,
comparable results were obtained for both solutions. In precision measurement
on the X axis, turning off cam 4 (CAM_3), GazeFlow gets even slightly higher results than
SMI. One has to pay attention to the fact that both solutions obtain measurement results
indicated as the proper level of precision, even under conditions with a freely kept head.
With respect to repeatability of measurements, both solutions meet the criterion
of reliability.
3.4. The results of the Precision measurements for procedures with a head
fixed on a chinrest.
As it was the case previously the tables present the Precision measurement results for
both solutions under conditions, where the head of a subject was placed on a chinrest.
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_0 0,194331558 0,22589244 0,30659356 0,29482526
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
0,188116326 0,207922304 0,325743609 0,298495478
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,199626015 0,241200333 0,290280556 0,291698778
Table 15. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 1 (CAM_0)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_1 0,193082251 0,227918227 0,303640804 0,292440588
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
0,195894667 0,225785942 0,318671083 0,293275125
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,190582326 0,229813593 0,290280556 0,291698778
Table 16. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 2 (CAM_1)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_2 0,17964051 0,231512714 0,305915571 0,29281851
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
0,186365522 0,217215435 0,324216348 0,297404826
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,173691462 0,244160308 0,289726423 0,288761385
Table 17. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 3 (CAM_2) in
procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
Camera Name of the
procedure
WebCam
average
AccuracyX
WebCam
average
AccuracyY
SMI
average
AccuracyX
SMI
average
AccuracyY
Cam_3 0,268014826 0,270949696 0,31937587 0,284119478
Statyw_Wali
dationColor
0,2443794 0,2346711 0,3379877 0,2817945
Statyw_Heat
MapPodstaw
kaSet3
0,286195923 0,298856308 0,305059077 0,285907923
Table 18. The comparison of average values of Precision on the X and Y axis for cam 4 (CAM_3)
in procedures with a fixed head in GazeFlow (WebCam) and SMI
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The graph shows the total comparison of the average measurements of Precision for the X
and Y axis in both devices.
Graph 4. The comparison of the average measurements of Precision for all conditions where the head was
fixed for GazeFlow (WebCam) vs SMI
The results for conditions close to ideal, i.e. with a subject’s head fixed, indicate a high
reliability, especially for the GazeFlow software. This means that under these conditions
the software returns repeatable measurements even to a greater degree than the SMI eye
tracker.
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4. Conclusions
The results obtained in the Accuracy and Precision tests show high capability of making
reliable and accurate measurements with the GazeFlow software which tracks eyesight
on the basis of image from webcams. The software’s Accuracy measurements
(< 0.9˚-1.0˚) are, especially under conditions where the head is kept freely, higher than
indicated in the literature as the desired level of Accuracy, however they are comparable
to the device using infrared light. In procedures with a fixed head the Accuracy
measurement meets the desired value.
On the other hand, the repeatability (Precision measurement) of results meets all criteria
necessary to consider the software as reliable when pitched against devices employing
other solutions, in this case infrared eye trackers.
One has to pay attention to the fact that different results were obtained for different types
of cameras and their arrangement. The recommended position of a camera, for which
more accurate and precise results were obtained, is above the screen.
The GazeFlow software can be successfully used in marketing and website researches,
where one has to indicate the level of obtained Accuracy of the eye tracker.
The capabilities of the software in areas of accuracy and precision allow for its successful
use as a tool for controlling computers through eyesight and application in entertainment
or rehabilitation. To this extent the software is ready for commercialization.
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5. References
Tobii Technology, Accuracy and precision test method fo remote eye trackers. Test
Specification Vertion: 2.1.1. February, 2011
6. The list of appendices
Table 1. GazeFlow's validation of calibration
Table 2. SMI's validation of calibration
3. Heatmaps
4. Scanpath